


if only we knew the things we know

by orphan_account



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 14:22:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12110628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: She really needs to evaluate this whole 'immediately trusting every word Kara says' thing.





	if only we knew the things we know

**Author's Note:**

> title from tall height's spirit cold
> 
> theragingthespian.tumblr.com

When Kara asks if she’s free Saturday, she immediately makes sure she is.

When Kara, fingers coated in cheese and salt and salsa, drags her up bleacher after bleacher until they reach the _perfect_ spot, she realizes maybe she should’ve asked why.

“Want one?” A chip is held towards her, cheese slipping off and falling in a clump on the bleacher between them. “It’s okay. I’ll get it.”

She doesn’t wait to see what Kara means by that, turning her attention back to the people milling about the field. A part of her _knows_ what Kara intends, and her stomach twists at the thought.

“All good.”

When she glances down, the cheese is gone and Kara looks unnervingly proud of herself. 

(She’s not even quite sure where Kara got nachos.

An empty parking lot with an even emptier concession stand. Kara had knocked twice on the counter and strange enough, someone, who looked extremely similar to one of the agents she was positive she had seen sitting behind a computer at the DEO, stood up.

Had sighed good naturedly and passed Kara an obscene amount of snacks in such a way she couldn’t help but relate to.)

“Kara,” she asks slowly, nudging away the hand that tries to grab hers and settles hers over Kara’s instead. Kara’s fingers tap restlessly under her hand until she slips her fingers between Kara’s, squeezes. “What are we doing here?”

“This,” Kara slaps her hand on the bleacher, looks at her with bright, gleeful eyes, “is DEO bonding time.”

Lena makes a disgusted noise when Kara’s hand almost lands on her shoulder and edges away, sternly eyeing Kara. Napkins were apparently out of question in Kara’s pack of snacks. 

“Whoops. Sorry.” She tries not to wince when Kara wipes her hands on her pants, shrugging at the stain spread along her side. She must fail, because Kara grins and waves her hands in her face, tugging at her jacket to pull her against Kara’s legs which are far more forgiving than leaning back on the bleachers. 

(Not that it could’ve been the other way around and she still would’ve done it.

Not that she falls into any chance to be close to Kara.

Simply an added bonus.)

“Pam came up with it. The divisions never really interact, so.” Kara flops a hand before them.

“Baseball?”

“Yep.”

Lena hums. The- _agents_ , she realizes as she takes in the overwhelming amount of black clothing that suddenly makes too much sense. Most are gathered in a line, standing before J’onn as he waves the metal detector over them.

She tugs at Kara’s pant leg and cranes her neck back when Kara laughs as she spots her confusion. One that’s loud and shakes Kara’s shoulders as she dips her head, nose brushing her head. “A precaution. Sometimes it gets serious.”

“ _That_ serious?” Kara nods against her, arms crossing over her chest and pulling her further into Kara’s warmth. “Wait, can you not play?”

“Define can’t play?”

Kara leans back, legs still playfully pressed tight against her sides, but oh, her eyes dart away. “Kara, what did you do?”

“I didn’t know the rules! It’s not my fault!” Kara huffs and tips her chin up, sun falling over her face and it’s with no particular thought that she reaches up to cup Kara’s cheek, Kara turning and leaning into it with a happy sigh despite the pout she’s intent on keeping up. “All they told me was,” Kara drops her voice, flattening it in a mocking way that she immediately recognizes as Alex from Kara’s past mimicking, “just make sure the ball touches someone if they’re not on a base.”

“Okay.” It doesn’t sound particularly bad. Not that she knows every detail of baseball, but really, what could Kara have-

“So this- this _jerk_ was trying to steal a base- which that’s weird anyway, why do humans allow stealing sometimes- and so I just,” Kara pushes her hand forward, “threw it at him.”

“You-”

“Threw it at him. Across the field.” Kara flattens her hand against hers, moving it in a way to cover her face. “I made sure not to throw too hard, but how was I supposed to know I should’ve been holding the ball and _then_ tap him with it?”

She tries to tamp down the laugh building in her chest as Kara leans forward to hide against her shoulder. “I’m sure he was alright. Mistakes happen.”

“After that and maybe accidentally breaking a few bats- I didn’t hit anyone with them- but Pam thought it was best if I just cheer on everybody.”

Lena twists to the side to slide her fingers through Kara’s hair, working her way to Kara’s neck and letting her fingers linger. “Well, I’m happy to keep you company.”

“ _Right_.” Lena sits up straight at Kara’s tone. Cautious and apologetic and just a touch mischievous. All elements pointing to something that screams trouble in her head. 

“ _Kara_.”

“I love you.” Kara tilts her head, smiles sweetly at her and she almost forgets her worry at the rush of warmth the words stir up. Blinding and warm, kindling throughout her chest until it matches the warmth of Kara’s skin under her palm. But then Kara’s lips quirk to the side and she’s wiggling away, doing an awkward crab walk up the bleachers. “Just remember that. Okay? Because they um _theyneedanotherplayer_.”

“What-“

“Let’s go Lena.”

She jerks back when Alex hovers over her, fingers dancing at her hip that would be a bit intimidating if she still had her weapon.

Trust J’onn to think through everything. Brilliant really.

He looks up to her from the field, but it’s not the usual small smile he gives her. No, this one is full of sympathy and-

Oh. _Oh no_.

“No. I- _no_. Alex, I can’t.” She hooks her fingers under the bleacher, and oh, if there somehow ends up a picture in the news of some government agent trying to drag her off the bleachers, it will still be ten times better than playing _baseball_. “I don’t- I don’t have clothes.”

“Oh gosh, I’m really sorry.” Kara shrugs off her bookbag and tosses it to Alex. “Really, really sorry.”

Alex pulls her up, and okay, maybe she should have taken those visits- one visit, it was one visit- to the gym seriously because Alex pries her away from the bleacher like it’s no problem.

(Then she remembers Alex trying to keep Kara from her slice of cake, and while unsuccessful, it was still a decent try.)

“You can just stand there for all I care. We just need another member or we won’t have enough players to enter.” Alex shoots a sharp look towards Kara. “A member who hasn’t gotten disqualified for life.”

“Oh yeah? Well you’re-” Kara smartly keeps from meeting her gaze as her fingers twist together. “ _You’re_ disqualified. How do you like that?”

“National City’s finest reporter right there.” Kara blows out an angry breath at that, but softens when Alex starts pulling her away, giving her a small wave and mouthing _sorry_. “You’re going to get dressed and then we’re on in five.”

“Alex wait,” she tries to dig her heels into the ground, but it doesn’t do much. Anything. It doesn’t do anything. “I don’t know how to play or hit or _anything_.”

Alex pushes them into the bathroom, foot tapping as she starts riffling through the bookbag. “Listen, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Which isn’t the message she’s getting when Alex shoves clothes into her hands. Alex stops, sighing and bringing her hands to settle on her shoulders. “We could really use your help.”

Lena shifts her weight to the wall, staring down at her hands as she grips the clothes. “Wait,” she holds up the shirt, _Danvers_ emblazoned across the back, “this isn’t mine.”

“We were going to get you one with your last name, but I didn’t think you’d like that one as much.” Alex smiles, a little slanted, a little nervous as she scratches the back of her neck. “Winn wears one too, so it’s not like- weird or anything. I mean, you’re family.”

“Oh,” Lena breathes, traces her finger lightly over the letters. 

(She’s not wondering how she’s going to get to a base in time when she can’t even run. Not contemplating what exactly an inning is. 

She’s thinking that her family needs her- wants her- for something as stupid as baseball, and she can do that.

She can.)

* * *

She can’t.

She wasn’t built for this. She was made for microscopes and blueprints and running for only the time it takes Kara to catch her after she takes the last potsticker.

(That’s two seconds tops.

Two seconds and then hands are around her waist, lifting her up and snatching away the food for Kara to shove it in her mouth or knocking it out of her hands as they end up falling on the couch, all laughter and tangled up together.)

“Breathe. It’s just a game, it’s fine.” Alex presses the bat into her hands. “But if you can just hit it a little, just enough for Susan to get to home, we win.”

“We’re going to lose.”

Maggie elbows Winn sharply in the side and looks back to her. “Which is totally okay.”

“Just breathe and swing.”

She tries. 

Looks up at Kara who’s yelling and hopping as she steps up to the plate, waits until the pounding in her chest is lulled into something slower, something familiar and Kara’s smile gets even bigger as she gives a clumsy thumbs up.

The first swing she misses.

(If she missed what happened, Pam yelling strike right in her ear clears up any confusion.

She’s starting to understand Alex’s less than tasteful comments about her and her _endless, it’s ridiculous_ paperwork.)

“It’s okay!” Kara’s shout rings louder than the rest, and she’s not sure if Kara’s doing it on purpose or if she merely listens for Kara’s voice more. Hears it in the morning all the way to the night. “Try again, Lena!” 

The second time she swings when she shouldn’t have. Awkwardly follows through with the swing and replacing her feet.

Kara’s not there when she glances back. An emergency then, but Alex’s staring up, eyes squinting and shakes her head with a careful smile.

The third time, she steps into it, feels a brush of warmth at her elbow raising the bat, a forceful push on the bat that has it meeting the ball with a crack.

And all she can think is-

 _Kara_.

“What the- _run Lena_!”

“Oh-” She starts running, drops the bat when Winn yells it through his laughter. She looks over her shoulder as she runs, sees Kara back in the bleachers as if she was there all along.

Alex comes jogging up beside her, knocking their shoulders together. “I thought it would be best if you knew where you were going.”

“There’s a line.”

Alex gives a playful frown, the kind she gives Kara when she can’t pull off the disapproving look. “And yet, you’re still looking really confused.”

Breathe. Step and breathe. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Alex snorts. “Well, you, Lena Luthor, just hit a ball outside our field. You know what that means?” She can’t get the words out, forces out a breath and shakes her head. “Homerun.”

“Great.”

Except she’s pretty sure she knows exactly what happened. Or who, rather. 

Alex runs with her all the way around, clapping her on the back and steering her through the crowd. “There she is. Tell her next time to lay off a little, okay?”

An agent is slowly inching away from Kara and books it as soon as she approaches. Kara groans and shouts after him, “I said I was sorry!” When she sees her, Kara doesn’t even have the decency to look guilty. Just claps her hands with a beaming smile. “Look at you! Never played baseball, ha _okay_.”

“You’re a cheat.”

“Me?” Kara curls a finger to herself. “No, no. You are just a natural born baseball player.”

“And you’re an awful liar.”

“If something had been on the verge of cheating, it’s only because your team lost such a valuable player when I couldn’t play. “Kara purses her lips, throwing an arm over her shoulder and pulling her close. “But I’m not lying when I say that you,” fingers hook around her belt loop to keep her steady as Kara whispers into her ear, “are my favorite player.” Kara presses a warm kiss against her cheek. “So,” she holds up a baseball, “can I get your autograph?”

“You’re ridiculous.”

(Kara puts it in a small glass case and proudly places it on her desk. She catches Kara bringing it to Jess to show her before they go to lunch. Eve somehow knows about it next time she visits CatCo, talks of how Kara said she carried the whole team. At the DEO, she walks in on Alex talking about a baseball prodigy in the family and points right to her.

It makes her feel silly and warm and oh, maybe baseball wasn’t so bad.)


End file.
